


A Hint of Jasmine

by ZeroHorizon



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Aerin Ikat Jasmine, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Prada Candy Kiss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2019-10-28 18:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17792483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeroHorizon/pseuds/ZeroHorizon
Summary: Sana was like summer while Mina was like autumn, different and yet somehow compatible. Their love story begins on the first day of college with a hint of jasmine in the air, on a day where the seasons collided and summer turned to autumn.Or: A love story that begins with Mina catching Sana trying to smell her perfume.





	1. A Day Where Summer Turned to Autumn

**Author's Note:**

> New Misana story because apparently I can't escape this ship. :) I've added some Namo this time as well! Plus another ship that will be coming along shortly. I'm gonna try to be angsty with this one, but just a little. After all the fluff lol. Don't worry, just trust me on this.
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter at @misamosquito](https://twitter.com/Misamosquito?lang=en)
> 
> Spam me with questions on [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/ZeroHorizon)!
> 
>  

If Mina were to describe Sana as a season, Sana would be summer. Sana was like the brightest sun of the longest day of the year, a constant source of warmth and energy whenever Mina was with her. Sana was the fire in Mina's heart, the essence of the purest and warmest love.

If Sana were to describe Mina as a season, Mina would be autumn, a mix of coolness and spice. She was a mystery to be sure, elegant and refined. Mina was a love that swept Sana up unexpectedly, sneaking in quietly, a gentle breeze that caressed her heart and enveloped her without warning.

* * *

The seasons collided on the first day of Sana's sophomore year of college, a day where summer turned to autumn. Sana slowly walked up the steep hill toward her first class of the year, already tired and winded before she had even entered a classroom. She wondered how in the world she was going to survive her 8 AM calculus class this semester when a subtle touch of sweetness wafted through the air. Sana caught the gentle note on the tip of her nose and stopped halfway up the incline.

The scent was faint, relaxing, and absolutely intoxicating; it wasn't something that Sana would easily forget. Students were scattered around The Hill in every direction, yet Sana followed her nose like a bloodhound on a trail. She wove in and out of the people nearby, fully enamored with the delicate, sweet, and floral aroma, letting herself gravitate toward its source until she found herself standing beside an outdoor notice board with a single woman nearby.

The raven haired woman stood facing the board and Sana eyed her curiously, not expecting the scent to be coming from a person. She had imagined that her nose would lead her to a patch of elegant flowers blooming in the dying days of summer. It was almost fitting that such a pretty scent was emanating from as equally a pretty person, but was the alluring smell really coming from this woman?

Trying to be discreet, Sana edged her way over toward the notice board under the guise of reading the abundance of flyers posted there. As she settled beside the beautiful stranger, Sana turned slightly and subtlety took a deep breath, pulling in a heavenly burst of the mysteriously sweet scent.

"Umm... Are you smelling me?" a soft voice asked from beside Sana.

The question sent Sana jumping nearly a mile into the air. She looked around nervously, hoping that the dark haired woman was talking to somebody else--anybody else--but life was not so kind and Sana was the only other person within earshot of the notice board.

"Y-yes I was..." Sana answered honestly, embarrassed but unable to think of a lie on the spot. A feverish blush spread across Sana's face, the pink heat of it burning Sana's cheeks. It didn't help that the other woman was pretty enough to make her blush under normal circumstances, let alone the current awkward one. "You just smelled really nice and I couldn't help myself."

Sana cringed at her explanation. What in the world was she saying?!

"Sorry, I-- Sorry. I'll just leave now," Sana mumbled, feeling like the new college year was off to a pretty embarrassing start.

"Aerin Ikat Jasmine," the woman said. The words were so unusual to Sana that she thought the woman was introducing herself with a foreign name.

"O-oh... I'm Sana," she replied with uncertainty, eliciting the most delightful laugh from the other woman. It was breezy and refreshing, like a burst of cool autumn air.

"No, that's the name of the perfume I'm wearing," the woman explained, showing off an adorable, gummy smile. "My name's Mina. Myoui Mina."

The name was as beautiful to Sana as the woman standing patiently in front of her. "N-nice to meet you, Mina. I'm--"

"Sana," they both said at the same time, and Sana's blush deepened, forgetting she had already introduced herself. It was astounding how times Mina had made her feel like an idiot in such a short encounter. And as much as Sana wanted to stand there and stare at the beautiful woman who was like a taste of autumn, she really just wanted to run away and hide in embarrassment.

"Anyway, sorry to have bothered you," Sana apologized, turning away from Mina quickly. "I just really liked your perfume."

"Wait," Mina said kindly. She reached out to take Sana's hand as the older girl turned away. "Let me write down the name of it for you, in case you want to try it some time." Mina's fingers were cool against Sana's sweaty palm, somehow making her even more nervous than she already was as Mina gently scribbled on her. When Sana looked at the neat writing on her hand, she found the words "Aerin Ikat Jasmine" along with something that looked suspiciously like a phone number.

"I-Is this your number? Why...?" Sana asked, unable to imagine why a woman as elegant as Mina would want to give her number to a stuttering fool. But Mina merely smiled because like Sana, who had sensed that Mina was as mysterious and intoxicating as autumn, Mina too had sensed that Sana was like summer, a warm person full of uncontrollable brightness, someone that Mina wanted to see again.

* * *

If Sana were to describe Mina as a scent, it would be jasmine. Specifically, it would be Aerin Ikat Jasmine, which Sana quickly learned was Mina's signature scent. Every morning on her way up The Hill, Sana detected Mina's perfume against the crisp autumn air, alluring and seductive.

If Mina was somebody else, anybody else, Sana would have had no problems walking up to that person and saying "hi". Sana's personality was bright and she normally enjoyed chatting with people, stranger or friend, and making new connections. But Mina was different. Mina was... a mystery. Mina had a calm demeanor and yet she set Sana's heart on fire merely by existing.

Sana sighed as she stayed a good thirty feet away from Mina on The Hill, watching her from afar. Sana had never met anyone who had this effect on her, and frankly she found Mina to be intimidating. To make matters worse, Sana had looked into Myoui Mina only to find that Mina was a genius. Literally. At nineteen, Mina was taking all of the advanced courses of the university's highly regarded science program, already planning for her future Masters and PhD while working on her undergrad. If Sana wasn't already intimated, she would've been now.

And so two weeks passed in this manner, with Sana catching a hint of Aerin Ikat Jasmine every morning before calculus class and seeking out Mina only to admire her from a distance, never actually speaking another word to Mina since the day that summer and autumn collided.

But what Sana didn't realize over these two weeks was that Mina had also noticed Sana's presence on The Hill every morning before class. And while Mina was curious why Sana was very obviously and very poorly making an effort to find and silently gaze at her each morning, Mina, being the kind and breezy person that she was, didn't try to confront Sana on her stalker-like behavior and didn't ask Sana why she still hadn't called or texted. Instead, Mina merely observed Sana's actions every morning with the fascination of a scientist observing a test subject, slowly learning with pleasure from their indirect meetings that if she were to describe Sana as a scent, it would be a sweet, sensual, vanilla/orange kind of scent that Mina would later come to know as Prada Candy Kiss.

* * *

Three weeks passed since the day the seasons collided and Sana still had not found the courage to say "hi" to Mina on The Hill in the mornings.

"Can you just talk to her already? The stalker act is getting old. And creepy," Nayeon added, urging Sana to finally make a move that didn't involve just staring. They were sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch with Momo, listening to Sana talk incessantly about how beautiful and interesting Mina was based on the few minutes that Sana spent gazing at Mina from afar each morning. "She gave you her number the first time you met. I'm 100% sure she's into you. I bet it on every gay fiber in my body."

"Isn't that just your entire body then?" Momo wondered.

Nayeon smirked and shot a pair of finger guns at her girlfriend. "You've got it, babe!"

Sana rolled her eyes at her best friends' ridiculous dynamics.

"Anyway," Nayeon continued, turning back to Sana. "Grow a pair and ask her out. If she's as beautiful as you say she is, she's not gonna be single forever."

"First of all, I don't even know if Mina's single. Second of all, how can I ask her out to her face?" Sana moaned, dropping her head onto the table. Mina was basically the only thing Sana could think about over the past three weeks, and Nayeon and Momo had heard enough about this mysterious Mina to know that Sana was completely smitten with her. But Sana had always lacked courage when it came to love, and it was the main reason why she hadn't ever gone on a date before.

"Then call her," Momo suggested. "Better yet, just text her. She didn't give you her number just to decorate your hand."

"But I can't just call her now, can I? Hasn't it been too long for me to suddenly text and be like, 'Hi Mina! It's Sana, the girl you met three weeks ago!'" Sana sighed deeply. "I should've just messaged her right after I got her number."

Momo sighed even more deeply at her hopeless friend. "You're so tragic, Sana. Yes, you can message her out of the blue. People do it all the time. You keep complaining about being single and how there's never anyone around worth dating. But when you finally find a woman you like--who hit on you first, I might add--you just make up excuses to not date her."

Sana lifted her head from the table and stared at Momo with a deadpan expression. "Seriously Momo, she didn't hit on me."

Momo rolled her eyes. "No, of course she didn't hit on you. She just wrote her number on your hand after finding out that you were smelling her like a crazy weirdo. That's totally not hitting on you."

Sana sighed and dropped her head back onto the table. Why were these people her friends?

Nayeon stood up, the exasperation evident in her face. "You know what, I'm not gonna let you sabotage your own happiness, Sana. I'm gonna call Mina for you."

"What? No!" Sana cried out, eyes widening in alarm. She moved to grab her phone, but Momo was even faster and held onto Sana's wrists as Nayeon snatched her phone.

"Wait, stop!" Sana complained. "Why the hell are you two so in sync? Give me back my phone!"

"Perks of dating for a year," Momo replied. She winked at Nayeon who winked back at Momo, and Sana pretended to vomit. Then Nayeon proceeded to flip through Sana's contact list before laughing loudly at her discovery.

"You have her saved as 'Mina - Goddess'?" Nayeon exclaimed. "You're so cute! Who does that??"

Sana narrowed her eyes at the older girl. "You should see what you're saved as."

Nayeon flipped through the phone again, this time frowning at what she found. "What the hell? 'Nayeon - Dumbass 2'?!"

Momo tilted her head in confusion. "Dumbass 2? Who's Dumbass 1, then?"

Sana rolled her eyes. "You just answered your own question. Now if you would just give me back my phone--!" She tried to break free of Momo's grip, but Momo was unfortunately much stronger and all Sana could manage was a feeble struggle in Nayeon's direction.

"And on that fine note..." Nayeon said with a smirk.

Sana watched in helpless horror as Nayeon went back to her contact list and dialed Mina's number. Sana was suddenly frozen in place, not because she could hear the call connecting, but because she could detect a familiar hint of jasmine in the air. Sana spun around already knowing that Mina would be there, and yet she gasped anyway at sight of Mina standing in front of her, an amused smirk on Mina's face as she held her phone to her ear.

"M-mina..." Sana stuttered, the heat rising quickly to her face.

"Hey Sana," Mina replied easily, amusement in her eyes as she took in the scene of Sana being restrained by one friend as another held her phone hostage. "I was starting to think you were never gonna call me."

Momo finally let go of Sana's wrists and smiled brightly at Mina. "Nice to meet you, Goddess. We're Dumbasses 1 and 2 and I bet we'll be seeing you again soon. Bye!" And then Nayeon and Momo ran away from the table, leaving Sana to fend for herself in front of a goddess.

Sana hated her friends.

(No she didn't, but still).

"Your friends are interesting," Mina observed as she set down her lunch and took a seat next to Sana.

"Uh yeah, that's a nice way of putting it..."

"So are you gonna tell me why it took you so long to call me?" Mina wondered. "I was starting to think you didn't own a cell phone or something." She smiled coyly at Sana, eyes filled with a comfortable mirth. And if Sana was a delusional person, she might have thought that Mina was flirting with her.

As the smell of Mina's expensively sweet jasmine perfume invaded her senses, Sana tried to think of an explanation that was better than the truth, something that was less embarrassing than, "I didn't call you because I think you're too good for me even though I'm crazy about you." Sana found herself mumbling vague excuses as they ate lunch quietly and as she melted under the gaze of Mina's warm eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this beginning. More Misana and Dumbasses 1&2 to come! :)
> 
> There's still plenty left that I need to write for this story, but I do have the next chapter already prepared. So let's do some incentivized posting again! 80 kudos and I post chapter 2 immediately. Otherwise, I'll post it about a week from now. I'm thinking I'll see you guys in a week lol.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. The Kindness of An Entire Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for the support on this story. I didn't really think it was gonna get 80 kudos before next week. You guys are awesome!
> 
> Here's chapter 2 as promised! Chapter 3 isn't done yet, so no incentivized posting this time. Please enjoy chapter 2, and I'll be back with new chapters as soon as I can!!

Nayeon and Momo were outraged to learn the next day that Sana still hadn't asked Mina out on a date after their impromptu meeting in the cafeteria yesterday.

"Are you nuts?!" Momo asked, staring at Sana as though the younger girl had sprouted a second head. "We were looking at the same woman, right? Mina is drop-dead gorgeous and she's interested in you. Why in the world didn't you ask her out?"

Sana looked away, her cowardice tinged with embarrassment as she recalled the pleasant yet nerve-wracking meal with Mina the day before. "Because she just transferred in at the start of the semester and she doesn't know a lot of people on campus. I figured she could use a friend right now instead of a girlfriend."

"Oooh..." Nayeon murmured slowly, as though this explanation from Sana was the key to everything. "I know what this is. Sana's trying to build a friendship with Mina so that she can do the whole 'friends to lovers' thing that she's totally into. It's all 'Friendship friendship friendship', and then one day they're suddenly lovers and fucking each other out of the blue."

Sana blushed profusely while Nayeon and Momo laughed. She picked up her notebook and slapped Nayeon across the shoulder with it. "Why the hell do you have to be so crude all the time? Some of us still believe in fairy tale love you know."

"Because crudity works," Nayeon replied simply. She leaned over and kissed Momo softly, the gentle action melting away a bit of the frustration Sana felt at Nayeon's comments. "How do you think we ended up together?"

Momo smiled and held up a V sign at Sana. "We were 'enemies to lovers', by the way," Momo reminded Sana, who rolled her eyes because she saw their whole love story unfold (annoyingly so) in front of her eyes during freshman year of college.

"Look," Sana said, trying to defend her decision to not ask Mina out on a date, "just because I'm trying to be friends with Mina right now doesn't mean--" She paused mid-sentence, a faint hint of jasmine distracting her instantly. Sana sniffed and turned her head toward the fragrance. Nayeon turned to look as well, finding that Mina was nearby and looking for a place to sit in the crowded cafeteria.

"Oh my God..." Nayeon murmured, startled and amused by her discovery. "You can _smell_ her perfume from here, can't you?"

Sana's face burned with embarrassment, her silence confirming Nayeon's hunch. Momo stifled a giggle from beside them, and then stood up to catch Mina's attention.

"Oi, Goddess!" Momo called out. Mina's head whipped around instantly and both Nayeon and Momo laughed. "She knows her nickname!"

Mina smiled as she recognized Sana and her friends and then headed over to their table. "Why do you guys keep calling me 'goddess'?" she asked curiously. Momo and Nayeon bit back their smiles as they turned to look at Sana. But Sana silently pleaded with her friends to change the topic and they mercifully did as they were asked.

"So," Nayeon began," Sana tells us you're new and you're looking for friends. I'm Nayeon and this is my girlfriend Momo."

Mina set her tray on the table and sat down with them. "I thought you guys were 'Dumbasses 1 and 2'?"

Nayeon and Momo burst into laughter while Mina dug into her lunch with a smile. They liked Mina already. Sana observed with awe how easily Mina kept up with Nayeon and Momo's incessant banter, matching them quip for quip, joke for joke. Sana had grown up believing that geniuses were intelligent yet socially awkward people, and Mina managed to shatter that perception within the space of an hour.

"Mina," Momo said, pulling out her cell phone at the end of the meal. "Let's trade numbers." Because naturally--unless you were Sana--it made sense to trade phone numbers with Mina so that they could stay in contact with her more easily. Sana watched as Momo and Mina traded phone numbers and as Nayeon and Mina did the same. Then the table went silent, as though expecting Sana and Mina to exchange numbers as well, and Sana could feel her cheeks burning again as they so often did when Mina was around.

"Say, why don't you and Sana exchange numbers, too," Nayeon asked Mina pointedly while holding back an all too knowing smile.

Mina returned the smiled, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "You know, I would, but I already gave Sana my number almost a month ago and she still hasn't texted me at all so far. It's the weirdest thing!"

"You don't say!" Nayeon replied with exaggerated surprise. She turned to Sana, a triumphant kind of "you're trapped now" look written all over her face. "I didn't know you already had Mina's number. Why don't you send her a text _right now_ so that she can contact you, too!"

As much as Sana found Nayeon to be too meddlesome at times, she was ultimately grateful that Nayeon was forcing her to text Mina without any room for escape. Otherwise, who knew how long she would've continued trying to avoid the situation.

 **[Sana to Mina]:** Hi, it's Sana

 **[Mina to Sana]:** About time you texted me. Finally got tired of just stalking me every morning, huh? :)

Sana felt the blood rush to her face at the realization that her stalker-like behavior had not gone unnoticed. She looked up at Mina, an embarrassed apology ready on the tip of her tongue. But from across the cafeteria table, Mina merely set down her phone and smiled back at Sana warmly, continuing her conversation with Momo and Nayeon.

* * *

If Mina were to describe Sana as a drink, it would be mocha latte with whipped cream. Sana was sweet as could be with a personality that was always cheerful and uplifting and creamy--if such a word could be used to describe a personality.

The day after texting Mina for the first time in the cafeteria, Sana marched up The Hill with two lattes in hand and a heart filled with resolution. Today was the day she would greet Mina before class for the first time instead of just staring at her from afar. And she would do it on her own with no help from Nayeon or Momo. And she would approach Mina first instead of the other way around.

Sana prayed that she wouldn't faint.

A familiar burst of Aerin Ikat Jasmine met Sana near the peak of The Hill as it so often did every morning, leading her over to a small cluster of benches that were empty save for one elegant and extremely attractive woman reading from a textbook. Mina's eyes stayed on her book as Sana approached, as though she was oblivious to Sana's presence. But as Sana stood there in absolute silence for several moments, unable to find the courage to say "hi", Mina spoke first without looking up.

"I could just sit here and keep waiting for you to say 'hi' to me, but class starts in like 5 minutes and it'd be nice if we could chat a little before then."

Sana nearly dropped the lattes in surprise. She gazed at Mina, who was still looking at her textbook, and Sana wondered how in the world Mina was able to be so charming and confident and alluring all at once.

"I... I was gonna say 'hi' to you," Sana managed to say after finding her voice. Even though Mina was still looking down at the book, Sana swore that she could see Mina smiling at her response.

"Good. Then stop thinking about it and just do it."

Sana scoffed. _Stop thinking about it and just do it._ Like it was as simple as that. But when Mina said it, part of Sana's heart actually believed it could really be that easy. She took a deep breath.

"H-hi, Mina," Sana murmured nervously. She took the last few steps that separated her from Mina.

The younger girl finally looked up at Sana, a slow smile building across her lips with a hint of pride woven throughout. "Hey, Sana. I was hoping you'd come over to say 'hi.'"

Sana's heart was racing faster than she had ever experienced before. The rhythm was so intense that it was more like her heart was humming in that moment than beating. Sana fought back the urge to drop the lattes and run, clinging to the kindness in Mina's eyes for courage. "It's... It's starting to get colder out here these days. I thought you might want something hot to warm you up this morning."

Mina reached out and took the hot latte that Sana offered her shakily, her lips curling into a delighted smile upon on the first sip of mocha latte with whipped cream. "Mmm..." It suited her tastes perfectly. "This is just like you, isn't it."

"Wh-what's like me?"

"Bringing me a hot drink because you thought I might be cold," Mina explained. "It just feels like something you'd do."

Sana laughed gently, feeling a bit more relaxed from that simple observation. She sat down on the corner of the adjacent bench, so close to Mina that their knees were almost touching. She liked the feeling of Mina understanding her, or at least trying to understand her. "But you barely even know me. How do you know this is something I'd normally do?"

Mina took another long sip, letting the heat of the drink flow throughout her body. "Your personality just seems warm, like you have the kindness of an entire summer in your heart." Mina laughed at her own remark. "God, that was so corny just now, wasn't it?"

And Sana didn't know why, didn't know where the courage came from or what compelled her to do so, but she suddenly leaned closer to Mina and placed her warm hand on top of Mina's chilly knee, squeezing it gently. Perhaps this was the power of not thinking and just doing.

"It's not corny at all," Sana found herself saying to Mina, smiling bashfully as she did so. "It was really sweet and I liked it."

The smile that grew across Mina's face, shy and pleased, was more beautiful than any smile she had seen from Mina so far. And in that moment, Sana could feel it in her heart, the thrilling sensation of something snapping and breaking. Maybe it was the fear and cowardice that had been holding her back, maybe it was the innocence that had protected her heart for the last twenty years. Whatever it was, Sana suddenly felt that she wanted something much more from Mina, something that was deep and powerful and lasting.

And Mina smiled back at Sana, noticing the way that Sana let her warm hand linger on Mina's knee for a moment too long, how a hint of summer managed to appear in the middle of a chilly autumn. Mina took another sip of mocha latte with whipped cream, the warmth of it spreading throughout her body, and she noticed the way that her own heart was hammering in her chest as her lips begged for a taste of summer.


	3. The Girl Who Reminded Her of Autumn

If Sana were to describe Mina as an animal, Mina would be a penguin. The comparison was more than just the fact that Mina waddled like a penguin, the distinct trait becoming obvious as Sana and Mina began walking to classes together in the mornings. They had fallen into a comfortable cadence with each other since the first latte that Sana brought to Mina on The Hill three weeks ago, every weekday since then starting off warmly with hot lattes clasped between cold hands.

"You walk like a penguin," Sana giggled as she shared the observation with Mina. They were walking shoulder-to-shoulder up The Hill together, their heads bent down against the chilly autumn winds, making it easier for Sana to notice Mina's unique gait as they headed to class.

Mina groaned playfully, tightening her cold fingers against the warm exterior of her latte cup. "Not you, too. It's a habit I picked after doing ballet for years as a kid. Jeongyeon and Jihyo have been telling me that I walk like a penguin since I was 8."

"Jeongyeon and Jihyo?" Sana asked. She took a sip of her drink, the warmth of it both comforting and vital in the face of a harsh late October. "Who are they?"

"Close friends of mine. They're a few years older than us, but I've known them since we were kids."

"Hmm..." Sana nodded, filing away the information about Mina's friends for future reference. "Speaking of friends, have you made any new ones on campus?"

"I don't think so..." Mina let out a thoughtful hum as she wracked her brain for any friends she had made outside of Sana, Momo, and Nayeon, unable to think of a single additional person that she could consider a friend. "But that's what I get for not being good at talking to people."

"Uh, what?" Sana laughed in mild disbelief. She thought of how easily Mina had inserted herself into Sana, Momo, and Nayeon's friendship, finding it hard to believe that someone as interesting and engaging Mina thought she wasn't good at talking to people. "You talk to us easily enough, don't you?"

Mina shrugged. "It's hard to explain," she murmured, a complicated expression twisting itself onto her face. Sana glanced over as Mina struggled to find the right words, an uneasiness tugging on Sana's heart at the sight of Mina's heavy frown. "Sometimes it feels like a massive struggle to talk to people. And sometimes it's just... it's just easier to be by myself," Mina mumbled softly.

Sana stopped mid-step, the uneasy feeling in her chest became a growing ache as Sana felt the melancholy in Mina's voice in the latter part of her answer. All the mornings where Sana used to observe Mina from afar, too shy to talk to the girl who reminded her of autumn, Sana had taken note that Mina was always by herself. It was a loneliness that had seemed penguin-like to Sana even before she noticed Mina's unique walking style. It was a loneliness that made Sana to want to become even closer to Mina, who was so bold and confident in some ways, but mysteriously fragile in others.

"Sana? You OK?" Mina asked, turning back when she realized that Sana had stopped walking several paces behind her. Sana swallowed, feeling guilty as she thought of all the mornings Mina had sat alone simply because Sana had been too shy to say "hello".

"I... I don't like seeing you by yourself," Sana found herself admitting. She shook her head and took a heavy step against the icy walkway with her heart thudding painfully in chest. "I want to spend more time with you, but at the same time I'm worried that I'm just bothering you..."

Sana's words were shy and tentative, but her actions were quite the opposite as she closed the distance between them, a few short steps bringing her much closer to Mina than she normally would have stood. She took Mina's icy hand into her warm one and felt the coldness sting like a knife through the heart.

Am I bothering you?" Sana asked timidly, wondering how much more it would hurt to hear Mina confirm that hanging out with her was a bother after all. But rather than a frosty reply, a breezy laugh met Sana's ears.

"Of course you're not bothering me!" Mina replied, gazing fondly at the older girl. She was surprised that the situation even needed to be clarified, but Mina clarified it happily with a gentle squeeze to the warm hand that held hers. "I do think it's easier to be alone sometimes, but you're not a bother. Being with you is more than worth the effort, Sana."

A small smile tugged on the corner of Sana's trembling lips, Mina's reassurance spurring a hint of confidence in Sana's next question. "Can we keep spending time together then? I mean, I'd like it if we could keep spending time together."

Mina smiled again, and the only thought in Sana's mind was that Mina's smile was all the warmth she ever needed on a cold day like today.

"I'd like that, too. Now hurry up before we're late for class." 

With a gentle tug on the touch of summer held in Mina's hand, she pulled Sana forward and they continued walking up The Hill together, their cheeks significantly redder due to no fault of the icy autumn winds.

* * *

"Are you guys dating?"

The question from Nayeon came so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that Sana choked on her fry and Mina hurriedly patted her on the back until the food dislodged from her throat.

"P-pardon?" Sana managed to ask, her cheeks pink from the choking spell and out of embarrassment at Nayeon's question. Sana resolutely avoided Mina's eyes as Momo passed her a water bottle from across the cafeteria table and she took a few quick sips to ease her aching throat.

It was undeniable that Sana and Mina had grown closer to each other over the last few weeks. From their morning talks over coffee, to their late night study sessions in the library, and to the growing frequency in which they casually held hands, it was painfully obvious to everyone that Mina and Sana were very interested in each other. But given that they had never talked about dating, never actually defining their relationship or discussing their feelings for each other, it was hard to say that they were dating.

"I'm asking whether you and Mina are dating," Nayeon repeated, no signs of easing up on Sana even though the latter had nearly choked to death on a french fry. Sana took a few more gulps of water in order to ignore Nayeon's question, causing the older girl to roll her eyes and turn toward Mina. "Since Sana's obviously not going to answer, what about you, Mina? Are you and Sana dating?"

A loaded silence fell upon the table, punctuated only by the sounds of Sana still guzzling water with puffed cheeks. Sana took a heavy swallow as Mina gazed at her with a soft smile, a few moments of unreadable expressions passing between them before Mina finally answered Nayeon's question.

"I think Sana is someone very important to me," Mina replied, reaching over to place her hand on top of Sana's as Momo let out a little squeak of delight.

"You guys are dating then??" Momo asked excitedly.

Mina shook her head with a smile. "No."

Sana could feel her heart sinking rapidly even though her heart had been up in the clouds for just a split second as their hands met. How cruel was it that she now had to endure a public rejection from Mina even though Sana had never confessed to Mina in the first place?

Nayeon frowned slightly at Sana's response. "So you're not dating?"

Mina shook her head again. "I didn't say that either."

The loaded silence returned, a simultaneous look of confusion passing between Nayeon and Momo while Sana's heart skipped a beat in her chest. She nervously looked over to Mina and found the younger girl smiling back at her mischievously, a gentle squeeze on Sana's hand accompanying Mina's smile. They were _not_ dating, but not **NOT** dating. A complicated woman, this Myoui Mina. But somehow the response made sense given the kind of undefined relationship they were in right now.

Nayeon sighed and shook her head at Sana and Mina. "You guys are so complicated. If you like each other, just date each other. It's as simple as that."

Sana rolled her eyes at the older girl, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Like you and Momo were that simple. Even after you knew you liked her, you still hated her."

"Yeah, well... whatever!" Momo huffed at Sana, trying to come to Nayeon's defense over the messy period before they had started dating. She turned to Nayeon. "It worked out well for us in the end, didn't it, babe?"

Nayeon leaned over to Momo with a calming smile, not at all annoyed by Sana's light criticism. Taking Momo's hand in her own, Nayeon pressed a soft and reassuring kiss to Momo's cheek. "It worked out amazingly for us."

"And does this work for us?" Mina wondered, turning toward Sana with an amused smile.

If Sana were to be completely honest, she would've admitted that her current relationship with Mina was _not_ working for her because she wanted to date Mina instead of carrying on with their nebulous kind of relationship--but she didn't want to admit that in front of Nayeon and Momo. And with the way that Mina's thumb was gently stroking the back of her hand ever so fondly, the coolness of Mina's hand sending goosebumps down her arms, Sana didn't want to say anything that might make Mina stop.

"Yeah, this works for us, too," Sana replied, and she and Mina shared a smile.

Nayeon let out a loud cough from across the table as she poorly tried to disguise a word muttered under her breath. "Coward." A squawk of protest followed as Sana threw her nearly empty water bottle at Nayeon and it bounced off the side of her head. But Nayeon didn't protest the mild act of violence and no one else commented on it, so they dropped the topic of Mina and Sana's dating life and they resumed their lunch in peace.

* * *

They were ice skating together--or at least they were trying to. But ice was slippery, Sana observed, as her feet flew out from underneath her and she landed in an ungraceful heap at Mina's feet.

"I'm hopeless, aren't I?" Sana moaned, her butt now extremely sore from falling on it at least a dozen times in the last half hour. She looked up at Mina's amused yet sympathetic smile.

"You'll get the hang of it," Mina encouraged her. She held out her hand to Sana, their fingers intertwining as Mina helped the older girl to her feet. "No one's ever good at ice skating on the first try."

Sana had to agree with that statement as she unsteadily turned around to find that Momo was having just as much trouble staying upright. Nayeon held Momo's hands patiently, laughing while Momo slipped and slided all over the ice. There was a wealth of affection in Nayeon's eyes as she watched her uncoordinated girlfriend trying her hardest to stay balanced, a pouty look of determination scrawled across Momo's face.

At times like these, Sana barely recognized this gentle version of Nayeon, a polar opposite to the obnoxious Nayeon who liked to tease and torment and stir up trouble. Momo tripped backward into Nayeon's arms and the older girl playfully turned the action into a dip, steadily holding onto Momo and bending her back slightly before leaning down with a soft kiss.

The smooth gesture was heart fluttering and romantic and utterly embarrassing as Mina and Sana stood fifteen feet away with their hands tightly clasped, mouths agape in surprise with twin blushes growing across their cheeks. They glanced at each other quickly before looking away shyly. Sana was embarrassed enough to want to let go of Mina's hands entirely, but she also didn't want to fall flat on her ass again, so held on for dear life with their eyes averted.

"God, they're so embarrassing," Sana murmured, hearing Mina's faint giggle as a response. They were no strangers to seeing Nayeon and Momo kiss, but this profoundly romantic display of affection was somehow more embarrassing than usual. She glanced back to find that Momo and Nayeon's kiss had deepened with Momo pulling Nayeon to her desperately. "Hey, get a room!" Sana shouted at them.

The kiss finally broke and the couple flashed Mina and Sana a pair of matching V signs. "We already have one!" they replied cheekily.

Sana couldn't have rolled her eyes any harder even if she tried.

"Forget about them," Mina laughed, nudging Sana gently from behind. Sana's ice skates edged forward and she struggled to find her balance. "Let's keep trying!"

They created a rhythm as they skated along with Mina standing closely behind Sana, both of Sana's hand clasped tightly within Mina's. Each of Sana's little baby steps on the ice were accompanied by soft words of praise as Mina guided her from behind.

"There, I think you're starting to get it now," Mina said kindly, loosening her firm grip on Sana's hands ever so slightly. Sana didn't quite have the hang of it yet, but she felt like could keep moving forward forever with the gentle touch of autumn pushing at her back.

"Mina..." Sana murmured, a pink blush starting to creep across her cheeks. "I...--!!"

There was a collision from behind Mina and Sana that was strong enough to send them sprawling across the ice. They crumpled on top of each other, Mina on top of Sana, the captivating smell of Aerin Ikat Jasmine flooding Sana's senses as her face fell into the crook of Mina's neck.

"Whoops," Nayeon apologized contritely. "Sorry, Momo's about as stable on ice as a drunk freshman walking home from her first party." Nayeon and Momo glanced at each other, a shared smile passing between them at the inside joke while Sana rolled her eyes at their lameness.

Momo wearily crumpled out of Nayeon's hold and joined Sana on the ice as Nayeon helped Mina to her feet. "You guys go skate by yourselves for a while. I need a break," Momo announced.

Sana nodded eagerly at the chance to rest. She sat up next to Momo and waved a tired hand at Mina. "Let's switch partners for a bit. Have fun with Nayeon."

The two expert skaters looked at each other for a moment, finally free from the burden of dragging around their newbie partners. And then, as though a silent starting pistol had just fired into the air, they simultaneously turned and took off racing around the edge of the skating rink.

Sana laughed in surprise at the pure look of excitement in Mina's eyes as she skated in earnest to keep up with Nayeon's furious pace. The honest and childish effort was somehow endearing and Sana couldn't help but smile affectionately at Mina, thinking to herself, _"Ah... so this is how an academic genius behaves when she's out of the classroom."_

"You don't just like Mina. _You're in love with her._ " Momo presented the observation as a fact rather than a question, her tone gentle and even. The statement caught Sana off guard as she tore her eyes away from Mina, turning to look at Momo in surprise.

She was prepared to deny it, to hide feelings that she knew were very much obvious to Momo and Nayeon, but her indignation faded away at the sight of Momo's surprisingly affectionate smile, a stark contrast to the teasing, knowing, eager smiles that Nayeon and Momo typically gave her when the topic of Mina came up. There was such a disarmingly honest look of happiness in Momo's eyes--happiness over the fact that Sana had sincerely fallen in love with Mina--than Sana held back her initial instincts to deny the truth.

"...I'm so obvious, aren't I? What gave me away?" Sana asked.

She expected Momo to comment on her jumpiness, her uncontrollable blushing, the way she still stuttered around Mina whenever Mina's beauty managed to catch her off guard. But Momo simply turned back to Mina and Nayeon's race, observing her girlfriend as she fondly answered, "because you look at Mina the same way I used to look at Nayeon before we started dating."

Sana laughed gently, remembering a time when neither of them believed that Nayeon would return Momo's feelings in the same way. She could see how Momo's eyes still lit up for Nayeon and Sana knew that if there was anyone in this world she could trust when it came to recognizing a loving gaze, it must be Momo.

The race was almost over, slowed down by the fact that a losing Nayeon caught hold of Mina's jacket to keep herself in the race, resulting in a playful pushing and tickling match halfway around the rink. But Mina finally broke away from Nayeon again, her skates tearing through the ice, eyes glittering merrily as she skated back to Sana and Momo at full speed.

"You should tell her how you feel sometime," Momo suggested gently, lifting an arm to wave energetically at Mina's unstoppable victory. "'Fortune favors the brave' and all that."

Sana swallowed, her heartbeat slowly rising again as Mina approached them with a triumphant smile. "Not everyone can be as brave as you were," Sana muttered softly, her senses already starting to fill with the dizzying and intoxicating scent of Mina's jasmine perfume.

Momo turned to Sana with a mysterious smile. "When the moment's right, maybe you'll surprise yourself, too."


	4. The First Snow of the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sana and Mina must weather a winter storm sharing only one jacket. And Nayeon and Momo are as helpful as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait... this chapter was supposed to be twice as long but I didn't wanna make you all wait even longer. Thank you for reading!!

They were best friends now. Or at least, Sana liked to think so in her heart as Mina stifled a laugh from beside her, the quiet giggle disappearing into the silence of the university library. They were studying together again like they often did these days, retreating into the cozy corners of the library to get away from the frigid winter cold and to find a place where they could study together in peace. But "peace" was somewhat of a relative term when a majority of their late night study sessions consisted of drawn out conversations held in hushed whispers.

"I think we spent more time studying each other than studying our assignments," Sana joked, looking at her homework, which remained untouched by the end of their study session.

"Do you regret?" Mina asked cheekily. "Do you wish you had done more work tonight instead of talking to me?"

And Sana would've replied with as equally a cheeky "of course not", except she turned and caught the faintest of knowing smirks on Mina's lips, a smile that dared Sana to deny how much she had enjoyed their prolonged conversations about everything and anything, their knees bumping slightly under the table, their fingers gently playing with each other as they had conversed.

"O-of course not," Sana replied, her voice cracking slightly, and Mina's smirk deepened.

Sana looked away and tried to contain the fiery blush that was blazing across her cheeks. Lately it was getting harder for Sana to toe the line between friendship and romance with Mina. The subtle flirting, just barely there, was becoming more than Sana's poor heart could bear. And as Mina had told Nayeon and Momo, they weren't NOT dating, but that didn't mean Sana could lean over the library table and kiss Mina as though they were lovers, as though the taste of autumn that surely existed on Mina's lips was for Sana alone to savor.

"...Sana?" Mina asked tentatively, waving a hand in front of the older girl's face to catch her attention. "Are you still in there?"

The movement snapped Sana out of her innocent day dream about the sweetness of Mina's lips, but not as much as the cool fingers that Mina pressed along Sana's cheeks. The unexpected chill against her burning face caused Sana to jolt with surprise, eliciting a look of concern and a hint of amusement from Mina.

There was a teasing reply from Mina that Sana only half heard as they started packing away their books, using Sana's increasingly distracted attention as an indication that they were done for the night. The only thing Sana could think about as she gathered her notebooks was how badly she wanted to tell Mina that she cherished the time they spent together, especially when Mina was exclusively hers.

Sana zipped up her backpack, eyes discretely gazing at Mina. Would she scare Mina if she admitted that she found a solace in the younger girl's presence that extended further that just having someone to chit chat with in the mornings and study with after class? Would she ruin their blossoming friendship if she told Mina that not NOT dating her was no longer enough? It seemed to be a question for another day with Mina already walking toward the door to fetch their coats. And after they left the library, they would part ways for the evening like they always did.

"Eh?" Mina said, stopping in front of the nearly empty coat rack with a blank look on her face. "My coat is gone."

"What?" Sana looked and quickly found her puffy jacket hanging where she left it, but Mina's expensive, fur trimmed coat was nowhere in sight. "Did someone take it on accident?"

"Accidental or not, the result is still the same." Mina sighed, feeling a dark cloud of frustration starting to build. "Perfect time to have to deal with snow," she added sarcastically.

Sana turned and looked through the glass double doors at the library entrance, amazed by the sight in front of her. A heavy snow was falling now, quietly making its appearance as they studied. The fluffy white tufts of snow piled lazily onto the streets, completely transforming the campus right before Sana's eyes.

"First snow," Sana squealed, unable to hide her delight.

Mina turned Sana, her annoyance over losing her coat ebbing away slightly at the sight of Sana's excitement.

"It's just snow, Sana," Mina pointed out. "What's so special about it?"

Sana laughed gently, letting warm memories of days long past bubble to the top of her heart. "The first snow of the year was always special to me. I spent every first snow since I was 7 playing with Momo." She continued to stare out the window nostalgically, remembering over a dozen first snows spent running through the snowflakes with Momo. "...and every year we each used to make a wish together on the night of the first snow."

 _Except last year,_ Sana thought to herself, a truth that was somehow both sad and happy at the same time. Sana was so lost in thought that she missed the way the last bit of Mina's bad mood melted away, how Mina looked over at her fondly, affectionately, fully infected by Sana's excitement over the blanket of snow that now covered the campus.

"Well then, maybe I can use my 'first snow of the year' wish to find a way to get home tonight without freezing," Mina joked. She gently nudged Sana with her shoulder, her fingers somehow falling easily into Sana's hand. The action shook the remnants of the past from Sana's mind and pulled her back into the present, into a moment that was now sweetened by the playful smile on Mina's lips.

"Ah! I already thought of a way!" Sana said, smiling proudly. She quickly sent a text to Nayeon and explained the situation of Mina's lost jacket, receiving a reply instantly. "Perfect," Sana declared. She held up her phone to show the Mina the response. "Nayeon only lives two blocks from here and she says she has a spare coat that you can borrow. Let's go!"

"And how do I get to Nayeon's place through the snowstorm without a coat?" Mina wondered, tipping her head curiously as Sana pulled her own jacket off its hanger.

A brilliant smile full of misplaced confidence spread across Sana's lips. She held out her jacket to Mina, eyes twinkling brightly again. "We can share mine."

If someone were to tell Sana four months ago that she would one day share a jacket in the middle of winter with a beautiful genius of IQ 137, Sana never would've believed them. But somehow that was the situation that she was in right now. Her outer arm was threaded through one jacket sleeve while Mina's outer arm was threaded through the other, their inner arms wrapped snugly together as they tried to huddle behind Sana's jacket for warmth. It was a stupid plan, they both had to admit, half running and half tripping over each other as they rushed toward Nayeon's apartment through the freezing snowstorm, but it was a funny kind of stupid, a silly kind of stupid that would leave memories that could be laughed about even decades from now.

They rushed toward the entrance of Nayeon's building, instantly grateful to be shielded by the wind and snow for the moment. Sana gripped her phone with half-frozen fingers and gave Nayeon a call.

"Hey, Nayeon," Sana greeted through chattering teeth. "We're downstairs right now. Can you buzz us in?"

"Hey, Sana," Momo answered, much to Sana's surprise. "Nayeon says there's been a change in plans."

"Huh? Momo? Why are you answering Nayeon's phone?" Sana wondered. It wasn't uncommon for Momo to answer her girlfriend's phone when she called, but Sana's frozen brain couldn't make sense of the situation. "Where's Nayeon?"

"Nayeon's here with me," Momo replied. In the background, Sana heard a nearby, "Hey Sana," from the older girl. "Anyway," Momo continued, "it turns out that we made a mistake. Nayeon doesn't have any spare jackets for Mina to borrow."

"WHAT?!" Sana cried. The unexpectedly loud reaction caused Mina to jump in surprise. Mina looked at Sana with mild concern as Sana continued the call. "What do you mean she doesn't have any spares. She has like 3 extra jackets."

"Yeah... well, she lost them all," Momo replied, clearly lying through her teeth.

Sana sighed deeply, not quite understanding the reason but knowing that Nayeon and Momo were playing with her right now. "OK, fine. Then can Mina borrow _your_ jacket right now? If you spend the night at Nayeon's, I'll bring you another jacket from our dorm tomorrow morning."

"Oh, um..." Momo trailed off. There was a rustling sound on the other end of the line as Sana waited impatiently, and then Nayeon came onto the phone. "Sorry Sana, we lost Momo's jacket, too."

"What the hell, Nayeon," Sana growled through gritted teeth, her anger slowly bubbling over. "We really need your help right now. Can we at least borrow a sweatshirt or something?"

"Nope!" came Nayeon's cheerful reply.

Sana was about ready to tell off her so-called friends when she felt Mina place a cold but steadying hand on top of hers, urging Sana to stay calm. Sana took a deep breath and sighed in defeat. "Fine, we don't need your clothes. But can Mina and I at least come up for a few minutes to warm up and figure out what we're gonna do next?"

"Can't. Naked."

"Really," Sana deadpanned into the phone, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You and Momo lost all those clothes too, did you?"

"We sure did," Nayeon replied proudly, and Sana swore that she could see their matching mischievous smiles through the phone.

Sana was about to hang up the call in disgust when Momo's voice drifted back into her ear. "Don't worry, Sana. 'Fortune favors the brave,'" Momo reminded her gently. "Good luck," Momo said, and then the call ended.

"I'm gonna kill them," Sana muttered under her breath, her phone trembling in her grip due to the cold and her overwhelming annoyance at Nayeon and Momo's unwillingness to help them. But the frustrated feelings were quickly tempered by an airy string of giggles that cut through the quiet darkness.

"Don't be mad, Sana. This is kinda fun, isn't it?" Mina laughed, hugging her share of Sana's puffy jacket closer to her shivering chest. And Sana found that she couldn't stay mad when Mina smiled at her like that, a playful curve to Mina's ruby red lips, her eyes lit up brighter than the star-strewn sky above them.

"But Nayeon and Momo--" Sana started to protest, instantly cut off by the cool finger that Mina pressed to her lips to silence her.

"Forget them," Mina gently urged. Her hand emerged from the safety of Sana's coat, reaching out to brush away the soft snowflakes that had settled into Sana's hair. "It's the night of the first snow, after all. Let's do something... _special_."

"W...what did you have in mind?" Sana wondered, swallowing as she fell deeper into Mina's warm brown eyes.

"My place is only another four blocks from here. If we run, we won't freeze to death."

There was an air of calmness, of subtle confidence in Mina's response. And Sana would be lying if she said that Mina's confidence wasn't extremely alluring in the midst of their predicament. The younger girl slowly slid her free hand into Sana's, Mina's icy fingertips blending into Sana's eternal summer warmth. Caught up in Mina's fearlessness, Sana allowed herself to be pulled along by the sweeping force of nature, a slow smile now tugging at her lips. With only one jacket and a thousand giggles shared between them, they rushed headlong into the darkness, hand in hand, accompanied by the presence of a million snowflakes in the air, guided by the light of a billion stars shining above them, and oblivious to everything except for the one love song that played in their hearts.


	5. A Collision of Summer and Autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took so long. No excuses, please just read and enjoy. Thank you for reading!

If Sana were to describe Mina as a drink, it would be spiced apple cider, a drink that burned fiery and hot but was soothing all the same, an autumn filled taste that was all the warmth and comfort that Sana needed on a frozen night like tonight.

They were at Mina's home now, finally safe from the cold after bursting through the front door just moments ago. Sana was shivering uncontrollably, so exhausted from running through a snowstorm only partially covered by her jacket--the other half of the jacket had been covering Mina--that Sana could barely move. Mina guided Sana to the living room of the cozy two story home and then rushed off with a promise of warmth, returning quickly with the hot apple cider in her hands.

"Drink it," Mina urged, watching over Sana with affection and concern as Sana raised the mug to her lips with shaky hands. Uncertain that Sana actually had the strength to complete the task, Mina gently placed her hands over Sana's and helped her lift the apple cider to her mouth.

The first taste was explosive. It was like tasting autumn, all the complex nuances of a mysterious season rolling across her tongue, warmth and heat in both temperature and taste, a flavor that was sour and sweet all mixed up into one. Sana's eyes flicked upward to meet Mina's, acutely aware of the way that Mina's eyes crinkled with amusement at her surprise over the apple cider's taste.

"Your first time?" Mina wondered coyly, already sensing Sana had never tried spiced apple cider before. She smiled as Sana nodded up at her shyly. "Do you like it?"

Sana murmured with content, taking another drink and letting the warmth of autumn fill her entirely. "I love it."

The steaming mug of spiced apple cider was only the beginning of Mina's promise of warmth. Sana was delighted as Mina lit a fire for them in the fireplace, the roaring heat drawing them both closer to the hearth upon cushions laid out on the floor. Still shivering slightly, Sana held her hands toward the flames and let the heat lick the remnants of cold from her fingertips.

As she sat side by side with Mina, a blazing fire before them, it was almost like the "first snow" days from Sana's childhood had come back to life again, cherished days long passed spent with Momo by her side; except Mina wasn't Momo and Sana was no longer the timid girl she used to be. In the heat of the flames, Sana could see whispers of the missed opportunities that she had regretted at one point. But sitting here now with Mina, warming themselves up in the middle of a nighttime snowstorm with an ache in Sana's heart that was almost certainly love, perhaps everything that had transpired was meant to be. Sana smiled to herself and swatted idly at the fire as though brushing away memories that no longer felt like a burden on her heart.

"Don't tell me this is the first time you've used a fireplace, too," Mina teased as she watched Sana enjoy the flames with child-like innocence.

"What? Of course not," the older girl huffed. Sana pulled back her hand with a sudden air of maturity and turned her nose up at Mina full of playful indignance. "I'm just trying to keep warm."

Sana felt a thick blanket fall across her shoulders, cozy and warm, but not as warm as the feeling of Mina sidling up against her with her head on Sana's shoulder, the feeling of Mina intertwining their hands comfortably as though this lack of space between them was how they were always meant to be. It was effortless, really, how easily Sana melted into Mina's curves, filling all the empty spaces like two puzzle pieces locking perfectly into place.

"I can keep you warm too, you know," came Mina's hushed and flirty reply.

Sana laughed gently, her heart fluttering yet calm at the same time because talking to Mina was easy. Being with Mina was easy. The only difficulty Sana faced right now was trying to hold back the heartfelt confession that was threatening to burst out of her chest.

 _"But why am holding myself back?"_ Sana wondered to herself, somehow no longer afraid to take a leap of faith, suddenly eager to see if Momo was right and whether fortune really did favor the brave. Mina's thumb was gently rubbing circles on the back of Sana's hand, almost encouraging her to do something courageous and exciting and wholeheartedly scary.

"I... I think being with you is the highlight of my day," Sana's heard herself say with utmost sincerity. And she felt Mina's thumb freeze in its motions, stuttering for a moment before Mina let go of Sana's hand entirely.

"Oh really?" Mina giggled. "You must've had some really boring days if I'm the highlight."

Sana shook her head and turned to face Mina with a smile. "It's just the opposite. Every day since I met you has been more fun and exciting than the last. I have the best time when I'm with you, Mina. And when I'm not with you, I just think about the next time we'll be together again..."

A small, knowing smile edged its way onto Mina's lips and Sana let out a helpless whimper because Mina was being entirely unfair just smiling at her like that, waiting patiently for whatever Sana might or might not say.

"Don't be like that," Sana whined, staring at Mina's smirk with pleading eyes. "I know you know what I wanna say, so help me!"

Mina giggled gently, kindly, the reflection of the glowing fire in Mina's eyes creating the softest expression that Sana had ever seen from the younger girl. "You're doing fine, Sana. Just say it..." 

Mina reached out and tenderly cradled Sana's cheeks with both hands, whispering reassurances and filling Sana with an overwhelming warmth that had nothing to do with hot apple cider, roaring fires, or thick blankets, and had everything to do with Myoui Mina. And Sana wanted to finally say it out loud, to admit to Mina, "I like you", but speech somehow felt impossible with her face in Mina's hands, with the scent of Mina's favorite jasmine perfume demanding Sana to come in for a closer breath. So acting on impulse, acting on a whim and on a desire that was months old and always on the forefront of Sana's mind, Sana leaned forward for a taste of autumn.

It was a chaste kiss, soft and experimental, so brief and feather light that Sana had a case for pretending like it was an accident if Mina reacted badly to the unexpected action. But as they stared at each other briefly in the moment after Sana pulled back from the kiss, their foreheads pressed against each other and eyes lit up like fireworks in the night, Sana knew without words that their feelings for each other were mutual.

Mina pulled Sana back to her, greedy and eager, Mina's knowing and seductive smile getting lost between Sana's lips. And Sana let herself become tangled in Mina's irresistible hold because Mina's kisses tasted like spiced apple cider, sticky and sweet, just like Sana always imagined an autumn tinged kiss to taste like.

"Wait, what did you say?" Mina giggled, breaking the string of heated kisses to stare at a dazed Sana with mirth in her eyes. She furrowed her brow in amusement. "Did you just say that I tasted like autumn?"

The delightful fuzziness clouding Sana's mind disappeared and an overwhelming embarrassment washed over her as Sana realized that she had accidentally spoken what she had meant to think to herself. "I... Wait. What did I just say!?"

"You said I tasted like autumn," Mina repeated, trying to hold back a laugh but failing miserably. "And what exactly does autumn taste like?"

Sana turned away shyly, still wrapped up in Mina's arms. "It's just... we were drinking apple cider earlier and it reminded me of autumn and your kisses tasted like cider and you're always so cool and calm anyway that you already reminded me of autumn and--"

Sana was completely rambling, just like she was prone to do when something or someone succeeded in flustering her. But another kiss from Mina cut Sana off mid ramble, erasing the embarrassment from Sana's mind and filling it once again with a pleasant fuzziness and a burning kind of want that arced up and down her back like lightning. Mina left a trail of butterfly kisses across Sana's cheek and up her neck, the final kiss landing just below her temple.

"You taste like summer," the younger girl whispered, her lips deep in Sana's ear with a secret that was meant for Sana alone to hear. And Sana blushed, crimson spreading quickly across her cheeks at the unexpected parallel metaphor. She was like summer while Mina was like autumn...

"Do I?" Sana asked breathlessly as her lips found Mina's again. "Do I really taste like summer? What does it taste like?"

A thoughtful hum escaped Mina's lips. She dragged out the moment, enjoying Sana's shy expression as she slowly climbing onto Sana's lap. "Mmm... you taste like warmth and sunshine. Like a breath of fresh air," Mina murmured. Her cool fingers found Sana's warm hands and Mina intertwined them comfortably. She nuzzled against the older girl's neck again, taking in a deep breath of Sana's Prada Candy Kiss perfume and committing it to memory. "You taste like blue skies and windswept clouds, like a kiss sweeter than candy."

Sana let out a shaky exhale at the beautifully poetic description, her heart beating at double speed as Mina pulled her back into a burning kiss. She leaned up into Mina's lips, utterly powerless beneath a girl who had melted her heart with just words. 

They exchanged slow kisses again and again in front of the roaring fire, innocent in a way that could only be used to describe two inexperienced girls sharing their first kisses with each other. But it was only innocent until it wasn't, until Mina slid her hands under Sana's shirt and brought them to rest on Sana's stomach. The kisses slowed, Mina wordlessly asking Sana's permission to explore her more intimately. Sana shivered at the electrifying touch, fascinated at the way her body responded to Mina, and she answered the unspoken question by gingerly tugging Mina's shirt up and over her head, mesmerized by the sight of Mina's milky white skin contrasting so beautifully against her lacy black bra.

"Do you like what you see?" Mina wondered with a flirtatious smirk, hooking a finger under Sana's chin to lift Sana's gaze from her chest to her eyes. And Sana could only blush, hypnotized by the shimmer in Mina's liquid gaze as Mina slowly removed Sana's shirt and tossed it aside, leaving Sana breathless from the first feel of Mina's warm skin against her bare stomach. 

Their shy giggles harmonized with the crackling fireplace in the otherwise silent home. Their pile of discarding clothing grew taller and taller, burying the line between friendship and lovers that they had so skillfully danced within the margins of without fully crossing throughout the past three months. But given how their kisses were deepening, their touches escalating quickly, it would be nigh on impossible for any semblance of the line to remain intact after tonight.

"I like you Sana, I like you a lot," Mina confessed, mumbling the words between Sana's parted lips as though the hand she was currently running down the length of Sana's inner thigh wasn't screaming out the same. "If this is too fast for you though, just tell me, OK?"

But Mina's kisses didn't stop and Sana didn't want them to. She shook her head slightly, never breaking the connection between their lips. "God, I want you so much..." Sana murmured, falling back against the cushions as Mina leaned into her. She tugged Mina closer, basking in Aerin Ikat Jasmine as the younger girl collapsed gently on top of her. "Do you... Do you want me too, Mina?" she asked, vulnerability laced throughout every word of her question.

And Mina paused for just a moment, staring down at Sana as though staring _into_ her, as though understanding the connection between them for the first time. "I-I do," Mina whispered softly, and those words alone were all Sana needed to come undone in Mina's hands and give in to her desire to discover how deeply the taste of autumn ran throughout Mina's body.

In the early nights of winter, buried under the first snow of the season, summer and autumn collided for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I actually have the next chapter ready. I wrote it as the second scene/ending scene of this chapter, but I didn't want to ruin the nice ending of this first scene. Therefore, we have an incentivized posting opportunity!
> 
> If this story gets 37 additional kudos (total 254 kudos) between now and next Friday, I'll immediately release the next chapter. Otherwise I'll just post it next Friday. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment or use my cc if you're shy lol.
> 
>  
> 
> <https://curiouscat.me/ZeroHorizon>


	6. A Perfect Winter Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for blowing well past the target of 254 kudos in a single day! Here's the next chapter! You guys earned it. :) Kind of short since it was meant to be part of the last chapter lol

Much later that evening, as the glowing embers burned out and the snow storm finally dwindled down, Mina and Sana lay in each other's arms in front of the fireplace and watched the gentle snowfall. They were whispering into each other's ears, matching the silence of the falling snow, quietly talking about everything and anything and nothing at all.

Mina's attention was focused on the drifting snowflakes just outside the window as Sana placed a kiss on the underside of her jaw, and Mina idly wondered out loud how it was possible that she was nineteen years old and had never played in the snow before. It was just a passing thought, one that was a bit self deprecating in nature. Mina laughed a bit darkly at her lack of experience and encouraged Sana to do the same. But to Mina's surprise, Sana didn't laugh. Sana didn't make light of Mina's story or try to empathize or pity the past. Instead, Sana carefully sat up so that they were facing each other, and then Sana smiled at Mina in a way that the younger girl could only describe as "healing".

"Do you wanna go play in the snow with me?" Sana asked Mina gently, her words as warm and as kind as the expression on her face.

Mina felt like she wanted to cry.

They dressed each other carefully, withdrawing from their pile of discarded clothing in reverse until they were both fully clothed again. Sana finished pulling Mina's shirt down over her head and then they smiled at each other furtively, joking that it was like they had turned back the clock to two hours ago, to a time before they had slept together; except they both knew that it would be impossible for either of them to forget the taste of summer and autumn that lingered on their tongues.

As Mina formed and held her first snowball in her hands, she looked down at it with resentment building in her chest. She thought of all of the things she had given up unwillingly in her childhood, including the opportunity to play in the snow as a kid. But then a snowball caught her in the side of the head. The wave of resentment disappeared as suddenly as it had come. And the subsequent laughter from Sana, innocent and carefree, reminded Mina of how much she had managed to regain in just three months of knowing Sana. As Mina watched Sana scurrying through the snow in her puffy winter jacket, squealing with excitement and full of limitless energy, Mina had a suddenly moment of calming clarity where she realized that she was prepared to do whatever it took to give Sana the world.

The snowballs flew quickly after that epiphany, with Mina and Sana pelting each other hard and fast as though they were hardened enemies and not newly minted lovers who had taken each other for the first time just hours ago. Mina had never imagined that something as simple as throwing handfuls of compacted snow at another person could be nearly this much fun. But then again, Mina had never imagined that a person as refreshing as Minatozaki Sana existed in this world.

The yellow light from inside the house shined through the windows, illuminating the area just enough for Mina and Sana to see their destructive paths as they chased each other through the pristine snow. They built snowmen together, threw even more snowballs at each other. And when they were too tired to run and to build and to throw anymore, they collapsed onto their backs and made angels in the snow.

Later on, completely exhausted from playing, Mina sat on the porch and observed the front yard that now resembled a snowy battlefield. Her body was shivering from the cold, but Mina's eyes were still bright and brimming with excitement from having _experienced_ snow for the first time. She refused all of Sana's suggestions to go back inside and warm up, wanting to absorb every last moment of her first "first snow day" with Sana, as much as the passage of time would allow.

Mina was so lost in thought, her eyes still glued to the snow as though the evidence of their playful evening would disappear if she looked away for even a second, that she didn't notice Sana returning with a streaming mug of spiced apple cider until Sana had pushed the mug into her frozen hands. Startled, Mina took the mug carefully and looked up at Sana with eyes full of gratitude.

"Thank you so much, Sana," Mina murmured sincerely, the words somehow much more serious and profound than being handed a hot beverage would warrant.

"No problem," Sana replied with an easy smile. "It only took me a second to heat it up."

"I didn't mean for the drink," Mina laughed gently, returning the smile with a tinge of wistfulness woven in her expression. She saw Sana tilt her head curiously at the reply, and tried to explain herself. "I was never allowed to play like this growing up. You could say that I had no control over my life until very recently... But when I was finally at a place in my life where I could do the things I wanted to do, I always felt like I was too old to play in the snow."

"You can never be too old to play in the snow," Sana chided her gently, as though any other notion was ridiculous.

Mina nodded with an affectionate smile, her eyes shining and soft because Sana's fondness for the snow was absolutely endearing. "Yeah, I know that now."

Sana had so many questions about Mina's family, about a childhood seemingly bereft of happiness, but she also sensed the heaviness of the topic and chose not to pry for more details right now. So she sat quietly and listened patiently, letting Mina reveal whatever she was comfortable talking about.

"Thank you for playing in the snow with me tonight, Sana," Mina whispered, reaching her hand out to catch Sana's and pulling the older girl closer. "You don't know how much this means to me."

Sana smiled back, scooting into Mina's side to offer warmth and comfort. "Thank you for playing with me, too."

Swept up in their bright and shiny new love, Sana leaned into Mina and kissed her, their cold winter lips warmed by the collision of summer and autumn. They each made a wish that night, their first-snow-of-the-year wishes. And even though Sana could have wished for anything that she wanted, she found herself making a wish that fit the events of the evening.

 _"I wish that no matter what happens, Mina and I will always be together,"_ Sana thought to herself, using her wish to try to secure even the smallest bit of happiness for them in the future. She waited patiently for Mina to finish her wish as well, wondering if she had also been included in Mina's wish.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they gazed up at the star strewn sky together, their fingers intertwined, their breaths visible and mingled in the cold winter air. And as they kissed again, Mina and Sana felt the memory of this perfect winter night burn itself brightly into their hearts, like a crystal clear picture that would last for all eternity.

But neither of them could've have known that this memory of their first snow would later become the memory that hurt the most after everything fell apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> Next chapter will be a Namo interlude. Let's find out how Namo's "enemies to lovers" story all began. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	7. A Morning of Summer Kisses

Sana woke up to find herself gazing at an unfamiliar nightstand, sleeping in an unfamiliar room. There was a brief moment in which Sana panicked, forgetting where she was, but the familiar scent of jasmine grounded her instantly, reminding Sana that she had fallen asleep in Mina's bedroom last night.

Mina's slumbering form was pressed up against her, cuddly and soft, with Mina's arm draped gently across her waist. And as Sana shifted ever so slightly in bed, Mina let out a tiny moan of complaint and unconsciously pulled Sana even closer, as though she couldn't bear to be away from Sana for even a moment as they slept. Sana smiled sleepily and sidled up against Mina, enjoying all the extra affection that Mina was lavishing on her these last few hours since they officially became girlfriends.

Sana smiled to herself again in the darkness. _Girlfriends._ She loved the way that word sounded.

The sky outside was barely tinged with daybreak, signaling that there was still some time left to sleep. Sana adjusted herself slightly under Mina's arm, wanting to rearrange the blanket so that it covered her better. She didn't want to wake Mina though, whose breathing was slow and steady and adorably a little snory, so she reached for the blanket with agonizing slowness, moving only centimeters at a time.

It was a wasted effort since Mina woke up anyway, the younger girl's startled jump coinciding with Sana's wince of remorse. Sana had an apology ready on the tip of her tongue, but a sleepy Mina easily brushed aside the unspoken words by leaning over and dropping the softest kiss onto Sana's uncovered shoulder. Sana swore she could feel Mina's beautiful smile in that moment, that sinfully attractive little half smile thing that only Mina did so well, and it was all Sana could do not to roll over and confirm that smile's existence with a kiss.

"Let's sleep a little more," Mina murmured sleepily, pulling the blanket up to cover them better as though she had read Sana's mind. Sana murmured in agreement, warm and content in Mina's arms, both of them drifting easily back to sleep in an instant.

* * *

If Mina were to describe Sana as a scent, it would be Prada Candy Kiss. The vanilla orange fragrance was now burned deeply into Mina's memory, especially after the events of last night. Mina had first become acquainted with the alluring scent many months ago while standing in front of a notice board at the beginning of the semester, on the verge of reaching out to grab a flyer, when she noticed a woman beside her trying to smell her.

The delicate harmony of floral and citrus greeted Mina with the warmth of a gentle summer day as she turned to look at the refreshing woman she would soon come to know as "Sana", a woman who would change her world in more ways than one. But even though Sana's signature scent had become an integral part of Mina's life since their initial meeting, a delightful kind of fanfare for Sana's frequent intrusions in her life, Mina had never stopped to ask Sana what the name of this fragrance actually was until now.

"It's called _Prada Candy Kiss_ " Sana giggled as Mina burrowed her way into the warm crook of Sana's neck to breathe in the last whispers of Sana's perfume, both of them drunk on each other's affections and the remnants of last night's peaceful sleep. Mina's cold nose prodded Sana's collar bone and elicited a surprised yelp from the older girl. "Yikes, why is your nose so cold?"

"Because it's winter," Mina mumbled, keeping her face pressed against Sana's shoulder, stealing the heat from Sana's summer skin to warm up her frozen nose.

It was a comfortable kind of morning, a playful kind of morning, a sleepy, cuddly, cozy kind of morning that had Mina's heart filled to the brim with joy. If Mina was honest with herself, she never thought that things could be this relaxed with Sana so quickly after they confessed to each other. Mina was especially worried that this morning might be filled with belated regrets over rushing into sex too quickly. But the affectionate way in which they held each other, gentle whispers and giggles bridging the negligible distance between them, only helped to reassure Mina they were both more than ready for what happened last night.

A slow smile worked its way across Mina's lips as Sana climbed on top of her, pushing her back into the pillows with a warm kiss that was like a burst of unending sunlight. A part of Mina never really believed that Sana liked her even though all the signs leading up to yesterday's first kiss had been painfully obvious. The other part of Mina was just terrified of opening her heart up to Sana, afraid of exposing all the ugly sides of herself for Sana to see. But Sana was miraculously still here, her head tucked securely under Mina's chin and her body curled up warmly against Mina's chest without any signs of wanting to escape.

(Or maybe Sana just hadn't seen enough yet to want to run.)

Mina tightened her arms around Sana, determined not to let Sana go as they giggled and cuddled and extended their pillow talk until it was well past breakfast, almost on the brink of lunch. Snow had fallen again as they slept through the night, nearly burying the home they slept in and blanketing the campus until it was hidden under a layer of frost. Classes were unsurprisingly canceled for the day, much to Sana's delight, but it was with utter shock and disapproval that Sana watched Mina bundle herself up after breakfast in order to head over to the school.

"Do you really have to go?" Sana whined. "But there aren't any classes today and the streets aren't even plowed yet. You're gonna get buried in the snow!"

Mina smiled at Sana's pouty expression, enjoying the way that Sana looked so effortlessly beautiful lounging in a borrowed pair of fuzzy pajama bottoms and Mina's favorite flannel shirt. Mina had always appreciated Sana's beauty, but there was something ethereal about the way Sana seemed to glow under the morning sunlight that made Mina's heart throb with regret for leaving.

"I have experiments that I need to check up on," Mina explained apologetically. She caressed her hand against a visibly disappointed Sana's cheeks. The older girl closed her eyes and nuzzled against Mina's fingertips, giving Mina the amusing impression of fondling a cat. "If I don't go in to the lab today, a whole semester of work will be wasted."

Sana continued to pout and looked up at Mina pitifully. "If I begged you to stay here and keep me warm, would you do it?"

"Yes I would," Mina laughed, "but you wouldn't use your power over me for evil, would you?" A smile finally cracked through Sana's forlorn expression and Mina felt triumphant. She tugged gently at the collar of her favorite flannel shirt, pulling it snuggly around Sana's neck. "Stay here, stay warm, and I promise I'll be back in a few hours."

"Fine," Sana relented with a sigh, "go ahead and pick science over me." She got up and wrapped her own scarf around Mina's neck. "But you better stay warm out there, too. I refuse to have my girlfriend turn into a popsicle after dating me for less than 24 hours." Sana placed a quick kiss on Mina's lips, gentle and fleeting, a teasing kiss that was laced with a promise of a much more satisfying encore when Mina returned later.

"Mmm..." Mina murmured, licking the addictive taste of sunshine from her lips, "I think I'll be back even sooner now." They shared a giggle. "By the way, my roommates Jihyo and Jeongyeon messaged me last night. They're actually own this place," Mina explained, gesturing at the house. "Anyway, they were supposed to be gone for the rest of the week but they're cutting their trip short because of the snow."

"Oh, are they on their way home right now? Should I leave, too...?" Sana wondered, not wanting to inconvenience Mina's friends, whom she had yet to meet.

Mina shook her head. "Nah, I'll be home long before they are. Just... Be a good girl and wait here for me," Mina teased. She leaned in for a final goodbye kiss, pressing herself into Sana's curves as Sana tugged on the pink scarf and pulled her even closer.

One goodbye kiss turned into two, and then two turned into three. It took another four minutes before Mina could tear herself away from Sana's warm kisses and get herself out the door. And then a pleasantly dazed Mina headed into the chilly winter morning, enjoying the scent of Candy Kiss woven into her scarf, happily imagining what it would be like to start every morning with a summer kiss.

* * *

A fuzzy kind of joy settled in Sana's chest as she sent Mina off to the lab. It was utterly domestic and stupidly romantic and Sana was not embarrassed to admit that she liked playing house with Mina this morning. But as the bliss quickly melted away into a dull longing too soon after Mina's departure, Sana was forced to reign in feelings for Mina that were threatening to run wild. It was already crazy enough that they went from friends to lovers in the blink of an eye. The last thing Sana wanted to do now was to give away her whole heart to Mina too quickly (even though Sana felt like autumn had already swept her up entirely).

With nothing else left to do in the unfamiliar home, Sana made her way back upstairs to take a closer look at Mina's room. Sana was not a nosy person by nature, but it was with burning curiosity that she examined the items that decorated Mina's room. Mina, who she talked to every day and every night, who she spent nearly all of her free time with, was somehow also Mina who was rather guarded about her childhood, who Sana felt like she still knew very little about.

Sana's eyes fell upon the prominent collection of awards perched on the bookcase opposite Mina's bed. Glittering trophies, shiny and golden, stood proudly amid a sea of multicolored ribbons and prestigious plaques awarded from math and science competitions. She had known from the beginning that Mina was a scientific prodigy, but seeing her girlfriend's genius reflected by a staggering number accolades was awe-inspiring.

Sana read through the descriptions on the various awards, smiling fondly as she imagined a young Mina working fiercely on her science experiments and papers, earning each award earnestly. But then Sana came across a rather unusual award that caused her to do a double take.

2nd Place  
Junior Age Division  
Classical Ballet Category  
Youth America Grand Prix  
Osaka 2009

"Ballet?" Sana wondered to herself, scanning the award again to make sure she had read it correctly. Mina had mentioned ballet to her only once before in passing. Sana had assumed that it was just an insignificant childhood hobby, but the prestige of this ballet award seemed to indicate otherwise.

Sana picked up the plaque carefully, noticing that this was one of the oldest awards in the bunch. She quickly crunched the numbers as her hand ran across the etched letters. Mina had won this award at 12 years old. And oddly enough, there were no other ballet awards amid the collection of academic trophies.

It made no sense to Sana that Mina was talented enough to win such a prestigious ballet award, and yet the ballet awards started and ended here. There was a hint about Mina's past right in her hands, and yet Sana couldn't quite piece the clues together...

_You could say that I had no control over my life until very recently..._

In the distance, Sana heard the unmistakable sound of the front door opening. She quickly put the award back on Mina's bookshelf, her thoughts rattled by the unexpected intruder. Mina wasn't supposed to be home for another few hours, so who had just entered the house?

"Mina, honey?" a voice called up the stairs. "Are you home?" The voice was feminine and kind in nature, and obviously familiar with Mina. The realization instantly quelled one kind of panic in Sana and flared up another. It was likely Jeongyeon or Jihyo, Mina's roommates who had come home earlier than expected, who Mina had not yet introduced her to. And now Sana was standing in their home unannounced, and Mina was not around to help her explain the situation.

Sana let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. Sana was not typically shy when it came to introducing herself to people--except maybe when it came to Mina, but now Sana found herself unable to walk downstairs to greet the people that Mina had described as her closest friends. She was debating between calling Mina for help and jumping out the window and onto the balcony to escape when the door to Mina's room suddenly opened and she found herself facing a blonde woman with shoulder length hair who wore a shocked expression that likely mirrored Sana's.

"Mina-AHHH!" the woman yelled, clearly surprised to find Sana there instead of Mina. "Who the hell are you?!"

"I, uh--" Sana began, nervous and tongue tied at the same time.

"Jeongyeon? What's wrong?" Sana heard someone else call out. There was a flurry of footsteps up the stairs and then suddenly there were two unfamiliar women starring at her with confused expressions. The second woman, who Sana assumed was Jihyo, took one look at Sana before her confusion melted into a knowing smile.

"You're Sana, aren't you?" Jihyo asked, folding her arms across her chest as her smirk deepened. Sana felt her cheeks grow warm while Jihyo examined her up and down, the woman's smile overflowing with amusement as her eyes fell upon the flannel shirt that Sana was wearing--Mina's favorite flannel shirt. Sana was unsure of how much Mina had told Jihyo and Jeongyeon about their relationship, but she assumed that Jihyo had just figured out everything based on the fact that she was currently wearing Mina's clothes.

"Ah... so this is Sana," Jeongyeon said, her smile slowly growing to match Jihyo's. "We've been wanting to meet you for a while now. I'm Jeongyeon. And this is my girlfriend Jihyo."

"N-nice to meet you," Sana managed to say. She tried to locate her normally glowing conversational skills, which were hidden somewhere beneath a layer of nervousness. "Mina literally JUST left to go to the lab--"

"Typical," Jihyo and Jeongyeon said at the same time, rolling their eyes and cutting Sana off mid-explanation.

"Even a snow storm can't keep her away from science," Jihyo sighed. "Anyway, come downstairs with us. Jeong and I just bought a grocery store's worth of food since we assumed Mina didn't do any shopping while we were gone. We'll make you something to eat."

"And we'll tell you some embarrassing stories about Mina, too," Jeongyeon offered with a wink.

That was all the encouragement Sana needed to follow her new acquaintances down the stairs with an eager smile on her face.

* * *

Mina didn't quite know what to make of the situation when she came home to find Sana sitting in the living room with Jeongyeon and Jihyo while still wearing her flannel shirt. There was a sensation in Mina's heart that was rapidly bouncing somewhere between happiness and embarrassment and dread; happiness because Sana was laughing so brightly at the stories that Jihyo and Jeongyeon were telling her, embarrassment because Jeongyeon was flipping through an album of Mina's baby photos with Sana, and dread because Jihyo was sitting next to them with her hand on top of the infinitely more embarrassing teenage years album.

"Hey!" Mina called out as she barged into the room looking annoyed. She shot a frown at the two older women who appeared to be unfazed by her loud arrival. "Don't show her that stuff!"

"Minari! Welcome back," Jihyo greeted her affectionately, coming over to give the frustrated girl a hug. And while Mina typically loved it when Jihyo coddled her with motherly affection, there was something about the way that Sana gazed at them with the softest smile that made Mina feel more flustered than she already was. "We missed you."

"I missed you guys, too," Mina mumbled back, accepting the hug that Jeongyeon came over to give her as well. "I guess you've met Sana, but did you really need to show her these albums?" She reached out to grab the album by Jihyo only to have her hand batted away at lightning speed.

"You ditched her for science today. Don't you think Sana's earned the right to see a few baby pictures?"Jeongyeon teased. "And Jihyo was just about to show her pictures from your first robotics competition."

"Don't you dare!" Mina glared.

Sana silently observed the comfortable squabbling between Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Mina as the trio fell into their own conversation. She giggled to herself as Mina deflected her roommates' playful teasing and asked to hear about their trip. It was fascinating to see Mina looking so at ease around her friends. For as long as Sana had known her over these past few months, Mina always went out of her way to avoid interacting with people outside of Sana, Nayeon, and Momo. Sana wondered what Mina would be like around other friends that she felt comfortable with, and Sana was happy to discover that this pouty Mina was more adorable than she had ever imagined possible.

"Hey..." Jihyo wondered, eyeing the scarf that was still wrapped around Mina's neck. "Did you buy a new scarf while we were gone? Since when do you wear pink?"

A matching pink tinge of embarrassment swept across Mina's cheeks, and Sana was amused to see Mina blush because Mina rarely ever got embarrassed around her. (Usually it was the other way around).

"Actually, this is Sana's scarf..."

In the midst of the silence that fell upon the room, Jihyo and Jeongyeon turned to look at each other with matching, knowing smiles full on their lips.

"Oh _really,_ " Jihyo asked pointedly, not prodding any further than that, but Mina turned a darker shade of red anyway.

Not looking either of her roommates in the eye, Mina promptly stood up and held a hand out to her girlfriend. Sana could hear the weighty sigh under Mina's breath, could see the way that Mina closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself until Sana's hand fell into hers. And when Mina finally opened her eyes again, the endearingly pink-faced Mina was gone, replaced by the much more calm and confident Mina that Sana was familiar with.

The world seemed to fall away for just a moment as Mina gazed at her affectionately, perhaps a bit pleadingly and hopeful for a respite from the teasing. Sana had promised herself that she wouldn't give her heart away to Mina too easily, but the simple joy she felt as Mina took her hand firmly and led her toward the stairs threatened to break that promise in an instant.

"Let's go upstairs," Mina suggested to Sana.

"Wait, are you hungry? Jihyo and I made dinner," Jeongyeon offered kindly while fighting back her smile.

"Not hungry," Mina mumbled back.

Sana could sense Mina's obvious disdain for the teasing, but she couldn't help but find Mina's attitude toward her roommates endearing. The relationship between the three of them resembled parents fondly teasing their beloved child. Sana kept the affectionate observation to herself though, not wanting to embarrass Mina any further, and allowed Mina to lead her back to her bedroom.

"Are you OK?" Sana asked kindly as Mina sat down and sank into the edge of her bed. She stood in front of Mina and hugged the younger girl's head gently into her torso. "I'm sorry I looked at your baby pictures without your permission."

"It's not that," Mina reassured her. "I liked seeing you hanging out with Jihyo and Jeongyeon. They're like family and it means the world to me that you're getting along with them. It's just..."

"Just...?"

Mina let out another weighty sigh, burying her face into Sana's stomach. "It's just embarrassing, OK? I don't like being embarrassed," Mina admitted, mumbling the confession into a faceful of her favorite flannel shirt.

Sana wanted to laugh because she had been embarrassed by Mina more times than she could count and it was ironic to hear Mina admit that she didn't like to be embarrassed. But Mina was serious about her confession and Sana understood that. So rather than laugh at Mina's honest feelings, Sana pulled Mina even closer, allowing the younger girl to continue hiding her face against Sana's stomach.

She leaned down and murmured words of kindness and reassurance into Mina's ear. Sana adored the way that Mina's innocent and vulnerable sides had come out though Jihyo and Jeongyeon, and Sana told her that sincerely until Mina believed it and no longer felt like wanting to hide.

"You're so cold," Sana murmured, caressing Mina's cheeks and feeling the chill of winter still on her skin.

"Because it's winter," Mina replied, finally pulling back enough to gaze up at Sana affectionately. She smiled gently at Sana, the embarrassment long forgotten after Sana's reassurances. "Will you warm me up?"

And Sana happily did as she was requested, steadily running her hands up and down Mina's cold skin until Mina was as warm as autumn again. And then Sana traced her summer smile all over Mina's skin until Mina smiled for her, until Mina's laughed for her, until Mina was kissing her and hugging her and the warmth of summer had permeated Mina's heart again.


	8. Wasted, Part 1 (Namo Interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Namo interlude that I should've posted last chapter, but got stuck writing. :)
> 
> If you're here for the Namo, you don't have to read any other chapters to know what's going on. If you're here for the Misana, they will be back shortly. Please enjoy!

Wasted. That was the word that always came to mind when Nayeon remembered how terribly she and Momo treated each other for weeks after they first met. They were destined to be lovers but they had fought like enemies. It was all lost time that they would never get back.

Wasted. That was the word that always came to mind when Momo remembered the state she was in when she talked to Nayeon for the first time. They were at a college party and Momo had been drunk beyond belief, drunk beyond the realm of logic. But maybe... maybe that was the key to everything.

* * *

If you were to ask Nayeon whether or not she thought popularity was important, Nayeon would say that popularity wasn't important at all. But of course, that's what popular people always say when asked. In the same way that rich people say that money isn't everything, or the way tall people say that size doesn't matter, Nayeon always casually told her admirers that popularity wasn't important while secretly keeping an eye on her vast network of friends on campus.

It wasn't that Nayeon _needed_ to be popular, but it was just a familiar atmosphere for her, having spent 4 years of high school being regarded as a goddess. Truthfully, Nayeon hadn't expected that she would've maintained her popularity once she started college, especially since she was going to school in Japan, where she didn't know anyone and was still learning the language. But after a week of attending her new university near Tokyo, Nayeon was quickly reminded that the foundations of popularity in Japan were the same as the foundations of popularity in South Korea.

Step 1, be beautiful. Luckily for Nayeon, she didn't have to do much to satisfy this criteria. She was the kind of person who could roll out of bed and still be considered the prettiest person in a crowded room. And Nayeon never took it for granted that she was blessed with good looks. Beauty got her noticed, beauty made heads turn when she entered a room. Popular people weren't always beautiful, but it definitely made popularity effortless for Nayeon.

Step 2, be special. It was another easy category for Nayeon. High school Nayeon made her mark by being athletic. She could dance, she could play sports, she could climb that stupid rope attached to the ceiling that every gym teacher forced students to climb, knowing that 99% of them would fail; except Nayeon was the 1% that succeeded, the 1% that was regarded as special. Nayeon could've easily used her athleticism to stand out a bit at her university in Japan, but she had something less taxing and more practical in mind to make others view her as "special".

There was a rather annoying rule for freshman in which all incoming students were forced to live in the school's dormitory for the first year. No exceptions, no workarounds, no ifs, ands, or buts. The rule was painfully clear to Nayeon, but she was also stubbornly set on not spending a full year dorming with some random person in a room likely a quarter of the size needed for proper living. Therefore, she brazenly signed an apartment lease without asking for permission and didn't bother to show up at her assigned dorm room. And she likely would've gotten away with not living in the dorms if her would-have-been roommate hadn't reported her absence.

But even after Nayeon got called in to see the Head of Student Affairs, who was determined to make Nayeon give up her apartment and move into the dorms, all it took was 15 minutes with Nayeon's charming smile and her dramatic plea that the apartment had already been leased for a year and she couldn't back out now without huge penalty fees and _please oh please couldn't the university make an exception and let her keep the apartment?_ to make the Head of Students Affairs give in.

The stories about Nayeon's triumph quickly spread across campus. She became known as the freshman who had her own apartment, the beautiful foreigner with the bright red hair who could dance like it was nobody's business. Once again, Nayeon was special. And once again, she became popular.

It was due to that tremendous popularity that all eyes were on Nayeon at a wild party thrown a few weeks into the new school year, a party that was already being hailed as the party of the century even though the night was still young. And of course, Nayeon was at the center of the festivities. Nayeon didn't exactly know everyone standing around her, laughing, dancing, drinks in hand, but they all seemed to know who she was and Nayeon loved being the center of attention. She didn't even have to try to be popular anymore, and maintaining it was as simple as looking good and being friendly to everyone. That's why Nayeon didn't mind it when a girl in a pink hoodie too drunk for her own good stumbled into her with two drinks in hand, the girl's over-filled plastic cups of beer sloshing dangerously over the brim.

Everyone nearby laughed at the drunken girl as Nayeon helped her stand up properly, an arm looped across the girl's chest for support. Nayeon peered into the girl's face and vaguely remembered seeing her before, perhaps at freshman orientation. Her name might've been "Momo", but right now the girl in pink was just another person to boost Nayeon's growing popularity.

"Better take it easy," Nayeon warned the girl kindly with a laugh. There was no point in scolding Momo (was that her name?) for the misstep when everyone around them was still having fun. "You're spilling everywhere."

Momo seemed a little unstable as Nayeon held her upright, a pair of pretty brown eyes staring back at Nayeon timidly. And although Nayeon felt a bit uncomfortable supporting the unbalanced girl in the middle of her group of admirers, Nayeon had to admit that there was something particularly charming about Momo's soft features, especially her eyes.

"Well... off you go," Nayeon said awkwardly, trying to balance Momo back onto her feet so that they could both get on with their lives, except Momo seemed eager to move into Nayeon even as Nayeon stepped back, one hand reaching out clumsily to offer Nayeon a drink while Momo's other hand seemed to struggle to keep hold of the second beer. Just how wasted was this girl? But before Nayeon could find an answer to her question, the girl mumbled something that Nayeon didn't quite catch.

"What was that?" Nayeon asked over the noise of the party. She leaned in to hear Momo better, quite possibly the biggest mistake of Nayeon's life because all of the dancing bodies around them suddenly came to life in that moment, shoving Nayeon and Momo into each other without warning. Two overflowing cups of beer rained down on Nayeon, drenching her from head to toe.

"S-sorry!" Momo managed to stutter as a stunned and mortified Nayeon stared at her with utter disbelief. She winced at Nayeon apologetically and wiped her dripping hands on her jeans before looking around the room. "I-I'll get you a towel. Just wait here!" And then Momo hurried away, likely to fetch the promised towel. But Nayeon had no intention of waiting around for Momo to return, not when everyone nearby was laughing at her and taking pictures of her, not when Nayeon's entire social life was crumbling around her at an alarming rate.

Without sparing anyone another glance, Nayeon made a bee line for the nearest bathroom. She immediately locked the door and ripped off her shirt, disgusted by how soaked it was and how much it reeked of cheap beer. The ruined piece of clothing was promptly thrown into the trash without Nayeon even entertaining the idea of drying it off enough to wear it back to her apartment.

She grabbed a nearby towel and ran it vigorously over her chest and arms, frustrated and annoyed about her predicament. Who did this Momo think she was, embarrassing her like that in front of her friends. A string of muttered curses rained from Nayeon's lips until the anger ebbed away and Nayeon was dry again, but the stench of Momo's first impression lingered on her skin like the stale aftermath of a keg party. Nayeon simply stared at herself in the mirror, wondering how in the world she was going to escape the party without drawing further attention to herself while wearing only a black bra.

*knock knock*

Nayeon jumped in surprise at the sudden knock on the door, her eyes darkening quickly when Momo's soft voice floated into the bathroom.

"Um... Nayeon? It's Momo. The uh... the girl who spilled beer on you?"

With a steely gaze in her eyes, Nayeon threw open the door and stared down at a surprised and meek looking Momo. The older girl frowned and folded her arms across her chest confidently, as though she wasn't someone whose pride was torn to shreds just a few moments ago.

"Uh, hi," Momo repeated with a nervous but apologetic smile. She appeared to be much more sober than she had been at their initial meeting a few minutes ago. "S-sorry again about before. I couldn't find a towel but... but I thought you might want this." Momo held out a bright pink bundle that Nayeon recognized as a wadded-up hoodie, the same one that Momo had worn when they collided.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Nayeon asked, turning her nose up at the proffered sweatshirt.

"Um... You're supposed to wear it. To cover up your, you know..." Momo trailed off. A faint tinge of pink colored Momo's cheeks as she glanced at Nayeon's bra-clad breasts. She quickly shoved the sweatshirt into Nayeon's chest and turned away shyly.

Somewhere in Nayeon's heart, Nayeon knew that Momo wasn't a bad person, that Momo obviously hadn't dumped two cups of beer all over her on purpose, that Momo hadn't meant to embarrass her in front of the entire school, but that kind of rational thinking was buried under thick layers of annoyance and frustration and traces of dried beer. In that moment, the only thing Nayeon could process was that there was something about Momo's timid and apologetic nature that just rubbed her the wrong way, something about Momo's soft and innocent eyes that was uncomfortable to look at, something undecipherable about Momo's existence that made an unpleasant feeling flare up in Nayeon's chest.

(At least, Nayeon thought it felt unpleasant at the time).

"Look, I think you've 'helped' me enough. Just leave me alone, you got that?" Nayeon snarled. She shoved the sweatshirt back into Momo _hard_ , forceful enough to send Momo stumbling backwards and tumbling toward the ground. Guilt rushed through Nayeon's chest as she watched Momo fall (because really, Nayeon wasn't a total asshole), but before Nayeon could step forward to help, a purple blur rushed forward and caught Momo before she fell.

It was another somewhat familiar face and the name "Sana" sprang to Nayeon's mind as the purple-clad girl straightened up Momo carefully. And then the girl charged at Nayeon like a linebacker on a mission. Sana slammed her back into the wall behind them, hard and fast, pinning Nayeon in place with a furious glare.

"Don't fucking touch her," Sana snapped, tightening her hands around Nayeon's wrists with surprising strength.

"Sana, wait! Please don't," Momo called out. She stumbled forward and tugged pleadingly on Sana's arm. The feeble action was enough to calm Sana down momentarily and Nayeon felt the tightness around her wrists loosen ever so slightly.

"Look," Sana said pointedly to Nayeon, still staring at the older girl with daggers in her eyes. "It was an accident, alright? Momo apologized, so let's leave it at that." And before Nayeon could think of a good retort, Sana had already let her go. She took the pink hoodie from Momo and shoved it back into Nayeon's arms again before turning away and pulling Momo along with her.

 _"Who the hell do they think they are?"_ Nayeon wondered in frustration as the girls walked away. She narrowed her eyes at Sana's backside, slightly appreciative of Sana's boldness, slightly jealous of the fact that Momo had such a good friend, but mostly annoyed that she had been publicly embarrassed not once but twice tonight by Momo and Sana. Nayeon looked around the room and caught the gazes of at least three dozen people who had watched Sana subdue her, and Nayeon glared back at all of them with a menacing stare that made everyone advert their eyes.

"So much for popularity," Nayeon thought to herself, turning back to the bathroom for refuge from her second bout of embarrassment. She looked down at the pink sweatshirt in her hand, which reminded her far too much of her new archnemesis Momo, and then looked in the mirror at her bra-clad chest and knew she had no choice.

Five minutes later, Nayeon emerged from the bathroom and found that Sana and Momo were nowhere in sight. She quietly exited the party undetected, no one giving her so much as a second glance as she slipped away into the night. With Momo's pink hoodie pulled around her, Nayeon made it safely back to her apartment, the whole while thinking with annoyance that Momo's sweatshirt was far too pink (Nayeon hated pink) and that there were far too many thoughts about Momo on her mind (she hated Momo, too).


End file.
